Denmark Will Soon Have its First Vertical Garden

A new vertical garden is about to be realized in Århus. The vertical garden will be 200 square meters and situated at a wall in the creative Meilgade area in Århus.

According to the man behind, Jonatan Marcussen (president of the association Himmelhaven (The Sky Garden)) it is the first of its kind in Denmark. The wall is planned to “open” in September this year. It will contain both edible (herbs) and as well as non-edible plants.

I am looking forward to see the wall and I am sure it will be very beautiful and make a positive difference to the whole area. Having a green wall is not just beautiful – there are a lot of other benefits (the below examples of ecological and performance benefits are from these two websites; Green Wall systems and Green over Grey):

• Improves aesthetics and increase property value
A well designed and maintained Green Wall can significantly enhance a building’s appearance – whether it’s to add a new aesthetic dimension, disguise a car park, refresh a tired façade or add colour and texture to a complete wall or section. It will increase the property value.

• Regulate temperature and reduce carbon footprint
A green wall used on appropriate elevations can reduce energy costs by both providing an additional layer of insulation in the winter (keeping heat in) and acting as a screen to the sun in the summer (keeping the building cool).

• Protect building façades
Green wall systems can help to protect a building’s façade and extend its life, acting as an effective shield to heavy rain and hail and helping to protect from the damaging effects of UV light. The green walls also protect by reducing temperature fluctuations of the envelope. A constant flux in temperature leads to the expansion and contraction of building materials. This results in cracks, fractures and general deterioration.

• Provide wildlife habitats
With a strong base from the trellis and appropriate planting, a green wall can provide an ideal habitat for wildlife. In many cases, it can also provide an alternative habitat for any wildlife displaced during construction, with the option of integrating bird houses within the structure.

• Improve air quality
A green wall in an urban area can help improve local air quality, both by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, and by trapping dust and other pollutants.

• Deter graffiti
In areas where graffiti is a potential problem, green walls can act as an effective deterrent, making the application of graffiti to the building structure almost impossible.

• Reduce noise
By adding a layer of insulation (both thermal and acoustic) green walls absorb sound – making a positive impact for both the building’s occupants and the local environment.

• Increase health and wellbeing
Living in urban environments, we are surrounded by concrete, traffic, noise and pollution. This is not healthy. It has a profound impact on our physical and mental wellness. Greenery softens this hard environment, acting as a tonic to ease stress and fatigue. Green walls provide a substantial and spiritual connection to nature which is missing in the modern concrete jungle.

I recommend the Urban Greenery blog – images and examples of green walls and roofs from all over the world.